Engineers As Urban System Innovators PDF

Project Team 4 FOREWORD 40 CHAPTER THREE
Limin Hee Lawrence Wong, Reaching New Heights

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—— Working Together on Singapore’s Biggest
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Khoo Teng Chye 6 OVERVIEW
First published in 2019 52 CHAPTER FOUR
Lau Joo Meng
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—— The Value of a Wider Perspective
Yong Yi 9 THE SINGAPORE LIVEABILITY FRAMEWORK
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Engineering Water
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2 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 3 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

Lawrence Wong Ho Siong Hin
Minister for National Development President,
and Second Minister for Finance Professional Engineers Board
shared purpose—to make Singapore one of the

world’s leading liveable cities. CLC’s perspective
shines the spotlight on how some of our best
together to address our urban challenges through engineers have adopted a holistic, systemic
innovative and integrated ways. In fact, much of and integrated approach to meet the country’s
what we are proud of as a city—such as the high engineering challenges. This book recognises the
quality public housing, the world-class water and contributions of these engineers within a national
power infrastructure, the first-rate airport and sea context, spanning from the Republic’s earliest
ports, and the iconic skyscrapers in our bustling days in the 1960s through to an outstanding
central business district—would not have been future that all of us are working towards.
possible without them.
The chapters that follow capture highlights and
This book aims to do two things. First, to distil insights of how engineers can make significant
the key elements of what makes present day contributions to the development of Singapore
Looking across the picturesque skyline of Singapore liveable and sustainable, and second, Engineers are, more often than not, the unsung in different, but inter-related, ways. The focus
downtown Singapore, few would be able to to celebrate the trailblazing engineers who heroes of the built environment. They work with is especially on the careers of our pioneer
imagine the starkly different conditions that our enabled the city’s transformation through their planners, architects and other professionals to engineers Tan Gee Paw, Cham Tao Soon, Liew
forefathers lived through. Yet the reality was that innovation and grit. Some of them were directly do many things—construct buildings, design Mun Leong, Shahzad Nasim, Chang Meng Teng
foreword
many dwelled in overcrowded slums with no responsible for the development of major public foundations for key infrastructure from water and Tan Ee Ping. They are all recipients of the
reliable access to clean water or electricity; roads infrastructure or landmark projects; others and electricity to digital networks and office and PEB’s Distinguished Professional Engineer
were often congested, public transportation devoted their time and energy to grooming future retail layouts. They even help formulate national Award, presented in recognition of outstanding
preface
was chaotic, and widespread floods occurred generations of urban systems engineers. All of plans for the future. All these contributions, achievements in engineering, management,
during the monsoon seasons. As a new nation them have stories worth telling. usually behind the scenes, contain many stories. research and development, entrepreneurship and
with resource constraints on many fronts, They tell of vision, foresight, multidisciplinary services to the engineering profession.
the odds were stacked against us. Hence, our I hope that this compilation also inspires today’s teamwork and dedication to innovative problem-
transformation from mudflats to metropolis engineers and engineers-to-be in the meaningful solving, and the dedicated application of skill and Most engineers will be familiar with the current,
certainly did not happen by chance. work they do. The challenges of our time may adaptive improvisation. Some of these stories important need to continue to sustain a strong
be different, and possibly even greater. Climate need to be told. inflow of talent into the engineering profession
The foresight of our founding leaders, and change, for instance, is not something we can in Singapore. All engineers, young or old, from
the tenacity with which they rose to these simply plan or prepare for in a matter of years. This is why the Professional Engineers Board every specialisation, need to gain a stronger
challenges, played a key role. Their legacies are Land constraints will become more acute as we (PEB) is especially glad to partner with the mastery of new challenges, mostly brought by
now widely celebrated and studied, both within become increasingly built up. Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) at the Ministry digitalisation and technology in the present day.
Singapore and beyond. Credit should also go of National Development to produce this book, At PEB, we hope this book will inspire all aspiring
to the urban systems innovators who turned Nevertheless, I believe we will find ways to Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators, for this engineers and those already practising, to
plans into action, and laid the first bricks for our overcome them, just as our predecessors did. bicentennial year. This publication collaboration continue dreaming big and to always think across
modern city. These are professionals—including Together, we can dream of and build a more was engineered with the twin organisational disciplines and boundaries, as we plan and work
planners, architects, and engineers—who came liveable and sustainable Singapore. goals of PEB and CLC coming together in one together in engineering Singapore.

OVERVIEW
The Value-Add of Singapore’s

in roadside tree planting, regulations on green from other cities’ experiences. The main
Urban Systems Innovators buffers and vertical greenery, and a planned principles have been distilled by the CLC
hierarchy of parks and gardens. into a Liveability Framework, which says
that this systems approach—underpinned
RIGHT In the history of cities, how Singapore is to have over 90% of Singaporean households These developments provide an illustration of by good governance and integrated planning
Credit: Ministry of
metamorphosed from an under-developed within walking distance of a park. how dynamic Singapore’s urban landscape has and development—accounts for liveability
Environment and Water
Resources, Singapore colonial trading post into one of the world’s always been, and looks set to be—for which outcomes of a competitive economy, a high
leading global cities is a standout story. The Such plans will be the outcomes of outstanding planners and architects are usually rightly quality of life and a sustainable environment.
Republic’s successes in urban development urban systems innovation in greening the city recognised. But what grabs the spotlight less This requires professionals with imagination
continues to draw a steady flow today of visiting since the 1960s, transforming Singapore from often is the role engineers have played in and deep knowledge that cuts across the
city planners, keen to take a peek behind the “a garden city” to “a city in a garden”. It is shaping the city. Indeed, engineers are urban traditional disciplines of planning, architecture
scenes of how Singapore tackles the primary not just about planting trees everywhere, but development’s unsung heroes. and engineering. Among these professionals
challenge of rapid global urbanisation—that of infusing greenery into the urban matrix through are a breed of engineers who have a holistic,
how to make an environment of high-density creative policies. It is about evolving planning, An urban systems approach is what mainly collaborative commitment to urban systems
living highly liveable. urban design and building standards—such as differentiates Singapore’s development success innovations.
To achieve this, Singapore has always been

on the move. What is being added is not just
something specific—like a new, fourth tower to
what has become a national icon, the Marina Bay
Sands hotel—but many geographically extensive
developments that are game-changing as they
are multidisciplinary and require engineering
solutions on a scale beyond what most cities
would even contemplate.
overview
For example, under the Urban Redevelopment

Authority’s Draft Master Plan 2019, a whole
new dimension of infrastructural possibilities
is opening up. Explorations to use the island’s
underground space span everything from
the Jurong Rock Caverns for storing liquid
hydrocarbons such as crude oil, to building an
electricity substation in the Labrador/ Pasir
Panjang area to power more than two public
housing towns and free up surface land for other
uses.
Separately, despite the island’s limited land area

and high-density urban living set-up, Singapore
is creating more green cover. Over the next 15
years, about 10 km2 of green space—nature
reserves and areas, parks and park connectors—
will be added to the 78 km2 of greenery. The aim

The Singapore Liveability Framework
Engineers are the ones who give form—quite helped realise projects ranging from intelligent
literally—to the dreams of many a planner skyscrapers like Republic Plaza to the energy-
and architect. In Singapore, perhaps more efficient Toa Payoh Hub complex.
than elsewhere, these professionals adopt an
RIGHT
engineering approach that integrates all other Engineers who apply an urban systems The Singapore
main facets of urbanisation to produce many philosophy have paid it forward in moulding Liveability Framework
urban innovations and applications, all at the generations of younger engineers, playing Credit: Centre for
Liveable Cities
systems level. instrumental roles in taking university education
in all branches of engineering to world-class
Innovative outcomes of urban systems standards. This broad-based engineering expertise
engineering can be seen everywhere in Singapore. has also been applied to steer complementary,
A prime example is applying a systems approach multidisciplinary approaches in other fields,
towards greater self-sufficiency in water including the humanities and management.
resources—a system called “closing the water
loop”. Singapore is perhaps the world’s only city Meanwhile, urban systems innovators have
in which two-thirds of the land area can harvest also made a difference in boosting collaborative
rainwater, even in heavily populated areas. It has knowledge-building between the public and
also expanded seawater desalination intensively, private sectors, such as in enhancing expertise in
and enabled the recycling of water on a greater prefabricated construction technology. In these
scale than any other city. Such projects illustrate and other ways, these engineers have given back
the leadership of engineers in key areas like to industry and society in research and lifelong
framework
closing the water loop, with significant roles in learning, to help Singapore continue to engineer
many major initiatives including the cleanup of the most liveable and sustainable future possible.
the Singapore River and the creation of Marina
Barrage and a city reservoir, while solving the For Singapore to continue to lead in urban
problem of flooding in low-lying city areas. systems innovation will require more investment
in innovators and research. The greatest aspect
Another key area is aviation, which connects of urban systems engineering is anticipating
Singapore with the rest of the world—urban and adapting well to new challenges—this
systems engineering has been a vital factor in will be tested in a world of rapid technological
major aviation projects such as building a world- innovation, rapid climate change and ageing
class Changi Airport from out of the sea. societies. Singapore’s overarching future challenge
is to make the city liveable despite its density—
Singapore’s engineers have also taken their by being clean, green and blue, all within the
expertise into the private sector, in landmark confines and constraints of a small island. Its next
projects including those at the Marina Bay urban development dream is to become “a city in
Financial Centre. They work more closely, nature”: where a city already nestled in one large
and better, with the public sector and other garden dissolves interstitial boundaries between
stakeholders than in many other cities, and living spaces and nature. For this to bear fruit,
are aligned to the same goals for the built it will be vital for urban systems innovators to
environment. Others saw industry expertise continue playing their vital role.
gaps in the private sector, such as in mechanical
and electrical engineering consultancy—and so,

The holistic, integrated approach practised A. Integrated Master Planning & iv. Execute effectively and have high disclosure requirements, and
by Singapore’s urban systems innovators Development Focus on implementing the master plan severe, public punishments.
is one of the key factors for Singapore’s Singapore’s 50-year Concept Plans, with professional inter-agency expertise, as
success in balancing density and liveability. formulated by more than 20 government was the case with Marina Bay. An action- iii. Cultivate sound institutions
This is reflected in the Singapore Liveability agencies together, optimise decisions to oriented public sector, able to mobilise the Maintain clear and transparent policies and
Framework, developed by the CLC to distil the balance long- and short-term outcomes private sector in the urban development of incentive structures in formal institutions,
tacit knowledge that steered the governance holistically for the environment, economy the area through a transparent planning to adapt systemically to changing policy
and planning that took the country from the and quality of life. Detailed master plans then system, made the execution of the master contexts. Also build informal working
squatters of the 1960s to today’s skyscrapers. follow through with execution, integrating plan more effective. partnerships through norms of governance
individual urban sub-systems such as such as rational approaches to policy, respect
Meeting the key challenges of high-density transport and water. v. Innovate systemically for professional competence, meritocracy and
cities, Singapore applied a systems approach To look beyond conventional solutions the separation of politics and professional
to balance social concerns, environmental i. Think long-term through technological and policy services in government agencies, which
regulation and economic goals, to achieve A 50-year planning timeframe moulds a innovations such as Singapore’s effort to enabled the Singapore River clean-up from
three main outcomes: shared, integrated mission and direction, close the water loop. 1977–87.
enhanced with rigorous evaluation of
1. A competitive economy to attract projects at every point. This is to pre- B. Dynamic Urban Governance iv. Involve the community as stakeholders
investments and create jobs, supporting empt future needs such as those arising Singapore’s geographical scale and Engage community participation in forming
development with calculated allocation of from population growth, and to prioritise government structure allow for policy and to build legitimacy for policy
land and facilities for industry, transport, investing for later impact—for example, efficiency and optimal choices in how outcomes, such as working with the Nature
water, sewerage and connectivity. the development of the MRT system for agencies interact with citizens and other Society on preserving the Chek Jawa
$5 billion in the late 1970s, a huge sum in stakeholders to make decisions on, and wetlands.
2. A sustainable environment, surviving those days. have oversight of, how a city plans,
with limited land and water by paying develops, uses and manages its physical v. Work with markets
attention to how systems foster a clean ii. Fight productively and environmental resources in dynamic, Draw on private sector knowhow and
and green environment; and embedding The implementation of the flagship Active, responsive ways. participation—but ensure it is attuned to the
environmental values into a larger social Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters project at the government’s duty to preserve and enhance
and economic narrative. Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park is a result of inter- i. Lead with vision and pragmatism public interest—to improve efficiency for
agency coordination and effort. It would not Have the political will to push through fiscal prudence in key public utilities and
3. A high quality of life, addressing have happened without “productive fights” unpopular policies or projects for long-term amenities.
environmental and hygiene problems among agencies. national benefit—one example is the state’s
holistically; the provision of affordable acquisition of land in the 1960s to solve the
education and healthcare, home iii. Build in some flexibility critical housing problem.
ownership and social integration; Stay open to re-evaluating strategies and
and initiatives for promoting culture, plans. Having regular reviews of land use and ii. Build a culture of integrity
managing the natural landscape and development policies to take into account Ensure public accountability, with
preserving heritage. new technologies, changing needs and public sound financing mechanisms in place to
feedback is necessary, like building a new maintain fiscal solvency and sustainability
Achieving these outcomes requires two key airport at Changi instead of expanding the of projects. Sustain zero-tolerance anti-
elements, each with their own five key aspects. old Paya Lebar Airport. corruption systems that are transparent

Engineering Water
01
Chapter One

01
Engineering Water
RIGHT 2001, before serving as Chairman of the Public

Singapore’s Blue Map: With Utilities Board (PUB) from 2001 to 2017.
over 8,000 km of waterways
and 17 reservoirs, Singapore
has much potential to Simply Understanding How Nature Works
integrate blue spaces with
urban development. Credit:
He holds a University of Singapore master’s
PUB, Singapore’s National
Water Agency degree in systems engineering, which he says
encouraged out-of-the-box thinking. But his
application of strategic systems thinking,
he reveals, comes essentially from simply
understanding how nature works. Systems
engineering, he explains, is a tool used in the
broader application of what he calls “strategic
systems thinking”.
Chapter One
Strategic systems thinking is about the long-

term future. You need to think through the
“Strategic systems thinking is
entire system not just for today, but project about the long-term future.
what the future will be like, integrate it into all
You need to think through
the planning that you have today so that as
time goes by, you find that you are roughly the entire system not just for
“Actually, systems thinking is just common sense,” Nations World Water Development Report. on the right track. today, but project what the
says Tan Gee Paw, the engineer who played the
most significant role in realising Singapore’s
In 2015, Singapore was ranked joint seventh
out of 167 nations as being most likely to face Engineers, in his view, have the capacity to add future will be like, integrate it
water loop system, which is internationally extremely high water stress in 2040 in a report value to the whole process of building a city by into all the planning that you
have today so that as time
unique in many ways. His modest statement by the World Resources Institute, a think-tank ensuring that all the component parts of the built
belies the fact that good stewardship of water in Washington, DC in the United States. The six environment are treated in terms of systems and
is actually not that “common” in cities around ranked above Singapore comprised the five desert integrated with everything else. goes by, you find that you are
the globe. His comment also underplays the
remarkable “sense” underlying the conception and
nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab
Emirates and the Palestinian Territories, and San Engineers inject systems thinking
roughly on the right track.”
development of Singapore’s system of harvesting, Marino, a tiny landlocked state surrounded by into urbanisation. This prevents the
channelling, recycling and using every drop of Italy. formation of silos, whether for hard
water from the sky with care. infrastructure, like transport and utilities and
Despite its geographical constraints, Singapore’s telecommunications, or soft infrastructure,
Although Singapore receives 2,400 millimetres of water challenges have been addressed in a like education and social services. ABOVE is critical; you either have it or you don’t.”
Tan Gee Paw.
rainfall on average each year, it has limited land remarkably comprehensive way, and Tan was Integrating them with systems thinking Recognising and reflecting the paramount
Credit: PUB, Singapore’s
on one main island to collect and store rainwater. involved with most of it. He started work as an allows us to reap the benefits of synergy. National Water Agency importance of water resources, Singapore’s first
With no big rivers or lakes, Singapore was ranked engineer in the Public Works Department and significant step towards building a sound water
170th out of 193 countries for availability of went on to become Permanent Secretary of the To him, water is an area in which strategic management system for the long term began
natural water resources in the 2006 United Ministry of the Environment (ENV) from 1995 to systems thinking is especially applicable: “Water in 1971 with a Water Planning Unit under the

Prime Minister’s Office. Tan assisted the then left by the British colonial administration— RIGHT
Closing the Water Loop.
PUB Chief Engineer, Lee Ek Tieng, to formulate MacRitchie, Peirce and Seletar. The next step was
Closing the Water Loop
the first Water Master Plan in 1972. The plan to map out all the other waterways, from Kranji water agency
envisioned a diversified water supply over the to Sarimbun, culminating in the 17 reservoirs
next half-century, drawing on what would today. New dams expanded the collection
become known as the “Four National Taps”: capacity of estuarine reservoirs significantly—for
catchment water from rainfall, imported water example, dams across Sungei Punggol and Sungei
from Malaysia, reclaimed water from used water Serangoon created 50 km2 of new catchment.
and desalinated water from the sea.
With all these works completed, there was a need Sea
Rain
In Tan’s eyes, this was “a very simple system” to plan for the long-term possibility of creating
in which the key is where, how and when to even more reservoirs, such as one that could be
bypass the natural hydrological cycle from rainfall created by damming the new water strip that
to reservoirs to the population and industry, would emerge between the shore off East Coast
and back. What the PUB did was to create two Parkway and a new reclaimed offshore island
artificial cycles to short-circuit the process in directly to the south if this was to be built. Stormwater Treatment of used
management water
two places, by reclaiming used water and by
desalinating seawater. The Water Master Plan was distinct from the
1971 Concept Plan drawn up by the Urban
The closed water loop works with the limitations Redevelopment Authority, and therefore, the two
and opportunities of Singapore’s situation— had to be integrated. Integrating the two plans
limited land, little ground water, a fortunate required systems thinking as well, especially to Desalination Reclamation of used water
colonial legacy of separate systems of sewerage forecast more initiatives in later years to soften, (NEWater)
and drainage, abundant rainfall and even more and even remove, the boundaries between
abundant seawater. Envisioning the water Singapore’s waterways and the rest of the
loop required much imaginative thinking to environment.
Collection of rainfall in Collection of used water
complement engineering expertise. “To try drains & reservoirs in sewers
to have such a system in a city that had not Other national component plans also had to be
conceptualised such a water loop from the integrated, such as the Drainage Master Plan of
beginning is just impossible.” the 1970s, drawn up by the Drainage Department
of the Ministry of the Environment, working
With a starting philosophy of more than 60% of with the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the
land area as water catchments, Singapore’s target Housing Board. This move ensured more synergy
is to increase its water catchment area to 90% of in managing water resources, as the functional
Treatment of raw to Supply of water to the
its land area by 2060. All such possibilities had responsibilities for drainage, along with sewerage potable water population & industries
to be conceptualised in the first Water Master and public health, were all transferred to ENV.
Plan. Based on the certainties of geography, broad Rapid development of new housing and industrial
physical parameters were outlined from the estates had resulted in increased stormwater
beginning, starting with only the three reservoirs flows that required an extensive and expanded

“You cannot
make a mistake
because you’ve
Until the late 1980s, toilets in Singapore were
only got one city….
RIGHT
The insides of the Deep
not much more than wooden shacks with metal
That’s why we are
Tunnel Sewerage System.
Credit: PUB, Singapore’s buckets. Every night, workers braved the stench
so kiasu.”
National Water Agency to collect the waste and take it to treatment
plants. In 1987, a team led by Tan linked every
house to a network of sewers and collected the
last night soil bucket, and eventually retrenched
the workers and closed down the service.
A systems approach to managing sewage has

reached a whole new scale and technological
level with the development of the ongoing Deep
Tunnel Sewerage System, scheduled to be fully
completed in 2027. The project, dubbed a “used will become even more remarkable, to show this
water superhighway for the future”, will have two double-loop enhancement.
large deep tunnels, and eventually, three massive
water reclamation plants at Changi, Kranji and Attending to Detail
Tuas to produce NEWater to meet more than half
of Singapore’s water needs. By centralising water A systems approach means going down to the
reclamation plants with this tunnel system, some small details. Even the incineration of domestic
existing plants may be shut down, thus freeing refuse was linked to the Water Master Plan. The
up land for other uses and giving a new lease of household use of plastic bags was necessary
life to the country’s urban systems approach to for rubbish thrown down the chutes of Housing
land use. Board blocks, and to keep the trash dry so that
it would not contaminate the waterways on the
drainage system, as these land-use changes had country’s urban planning was well thought-out To protect the quality of water collection, journey to the incineration plants before going to
impacted rainfall collection and the rate of runoff. and incorporated systems engineering at various industries were relocated to the west at Jurong the landfill on Semakau Island as ash.
levels. Therefore, Singapore developed pre- and Tuas, well away from catchment areas so
Pre-Emptive Measures Active emptive measures like having all the anti-water that any industrial waste and contamination The main driving force behind Singapore’s urban
from Day One pollution measures active from the beginning. would be contained. PUB would rather not systems approach towards water is sufficiency. As
recycle industrial waste water—it is not that the Tan says:
Most cities around the world have their water Meanwhile, for the system to work, the urban membranes cannot handle it, but to avoid any
catchment areas located some distance away catchment areas had to be cleaned up first, so risk. “We are already dreaming of the day when You’ve got to plan Singapore so that you can
from built-up areas, usually on primary land that the used water would be of treatable quality. only domestic waste water will go into the sewers survive. You cannot make a mistake because
in the suburbs or countryside. In contrast, as a Systems thinking was applied to related areas, and we can then take it back and recycle it,” Tan you’ve only got one city. For other countries, if
result of its small size and high-density housing, including solid waste management. The Sewerage says, referring to a long-term plan to create two they make a mistake, they can build another
Singapore had to think of how to harvest Master Plan was put together by the Public Works water loops, one for domestic waste water and one….That’s why we are so kiasu. Every water
rainwater. This meant that a water loop system Department in the late 1960s, but was to take another only for industries. When this happens, sample must pass the test.
such as Singapore’s could only work well if the another two decades to be fully implemented. the diagram for Singapore’s water loop system

LEFT
The advancement of
membrane and ultraviolet
From Vulnerability to a Strength:
technologies has helped
make NEWater a viable The Four National Taps
source of water to
supplement Singapore’s
water supply.
Now
National Water Agency
DEMAND SUPPLY
RIGHT
Domestic sector 45% Water from local catchment
From vulnerability to
a strength: The Four Non-domestic sector 55% Imported water
National Taps NEWater 30%
Credit: PUB, Singapore’s DOMESTIC SOURCES Desalinated water 10%
2030
SUPPLY DEMAND
IMPORTED WATER Water from local catchment Domestic sector 40%

The need to survive is at the crux of the systems the plans for the water loop system. The debate Imported water Non-domestic sector 60%
approach, which defined the mindset of 1960s went to the Cabinet, and the PUB’s case prevailed. NEWater 50%
Singapore as it sought to establish a new nation: Desalinated water 20%
“No safety net under you, nobody owes you a Systems thinking requires patience, as some
living, we give you this responsibility; you’ve treatment processes cannot be done until the
got to see that we survive. When your backs technology becomes available and/or the cost is
are against the wall, you’ve got to think 100 economically viable. For example, advancements
years ahead.” in membrane technology finally made the Marina 2060
NEWATER
Barrage feasible as a freshwater reservoir with a
SUPPLY DEMAND
With the government committed to long-term catchment area one-sixth the size of Singapore,
survival, engineers like Tan were tasked and meeting more than 10% of the city-state’s water Water from local catchment Domestic sector 30%
empowered to tackle the challenges at hand. demand. The Barrage also solved the problem of Imported water Non-domestic sector 70%
He recalled how he and his PUB colleagues flooding in low-lying areas of the city. NEWater up to 55%
Desalinated water up to 25%
had to debate their civil service counterparts
in the Primary Production Department, who Patience was also required for the third and
had wanted to retain pig farms as a fallback fourth national taps to be turned on. The third
food source if needed. However, from a water national tap—reclaimed water—was more DESALINATED WATER
perspective, the large amounts of waste from pigs than two decades in the making. It was first
would have entered the reservoirs and scuppered experimented with in 1974, but doubts remained

over the quality and safety of the water. NEWater RIGHT
A meandering waterway
is distilled water, too clean to drink on its own,
at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park,
as it can bleach human stomachs. To make it now a recreational space
drinkable, some of the pollutants first had to for all ages.
be put back. It was not until the 1990s that
the technology had progressed enough and the
cost of membranes had fallen by half, that the
processes of reverse osmosis, micro-filtration and
ultraviolet disinfection became more economical.
In 1998, Tan, then Permanent Secretary of
ENV, and PUB Chairman Lee Ek Tieng, revisited
the idea of reclaiming water. Two years later,
Tan chaired a steering committee for a water
reclamation plant demonstration at Bedok to
determine the feasibility of water reclamation.
It took another two years before the public

acceptance of NEWater was sought, with public
events such as the audience at the 2002 National
Day Parade drinking a toast to Singapore’s
birthday with NEWater. What helped in the
public acceptance of NEWater is the cultivation
over decades of a social culture of appreciating
water scarcity. In keeping with this, Singapore
has lowered its daily per capita domestic water
consumption from 165 litres in 2003 to 150.4
litres in 2014, and aims to reduce it further to
140 litres by 2030.
Today, Singapore has four NEWater plants

that produce 30% of its daily water needs. The
recycled water is of such high quality that it
is also diverted for use in industry, notably in
wafer fabrication, besides other manufacturing
processes and cooling towers. As rainfall-
independent sources, NEWater and desalinated
water are key to building Singapore’s drought
resilience. By 2060, these two sources will be
able to meet up to 80% of Singapore’s total
water demand.
Source: PUB, Singapore’s water agency

“Once you have a
The fourth national tap comprises desalinated
concept plan, you related to the environment. As he says: “Once drainage, and to bring an aesthetic dimension
water. After being processed, the desalted water
has to be mixed with natural water to pick up can see where the you have a concept plan, you can see where the
bottlenecks are. You can also identify where the
to these spaces for recreation and community
interaction. For example, canals have their
the nutrients taken out in the desalting process,
including micronutrients such as manganese and bottlenecks are… research and development (R&D) money should
go to.”
previously bare concrete sides “retro-fitted” to
become more “natural”, with added greenery,
(and) where the

iron. On the way out, however, one environmental landscaping and sloping sides.
limitation was that the residual seawater would Given his contributions to Singapore’s water
R&D money should

become too salty and disrupt marine life if the sector, it was no surprise that Tan’s systems Tan views this as a “social experiment” to
salt was simply put back into the sea after the engineering approach was also tapped in 2015 bring people back to the water to see if they
desalination process. In this respect too, systems when he was asked to advise the Ministry of can appreciate it enough to keep it clean, and
engineering provided Singapore with a solution.
The desalinated water that is sent through to
go to.” Transport on increasing rail reliability and
achieving its reliability targets by 2020.
whether they have developed a sense of personal
involvement in the stewardship of their water.
users is all collected back, whereupon the salt
is replaced before the water is sent back into The “Soft Systems” of Social Values Actually, it’s about social engineering. We
the sea. and Norms know that the day will come when the larger
part of Singapore will be a water catchment.
As part of this whole process, a water distribution An urban systems approach also incorporates a You can’t go around enforcing against water
system—including treated water reservoirs—is in social aspect, with the need to integrate the “soft pollution. You can’t be everywhere all the
place to balance demand between peak and off- systems” of societal values, lifestyle norms and time, [and thus] public education is extremely
peak hours in a day. human behaviour. As Tan observes: important.
Just as one key aspect of systems thinking is to To implement an environmental and Going forward, systems thinking must come
prepare for long-term maintenance, it is essential water policy successfully, we’ve got to into play for the PUB’s ABC Waters programme
for Singapore to ensure that the urban systems take into consideration the level of social to integrate with the National Parks Board’s
engineering approach is passed on to succeeding and economic development—that is Park Connector Network to enhance waterways
generations of practising engineers. At PUB, fundamental. If you run too far ahead of together with gardens, parks and green corridors
“urban systems solutions” is the jargon term used it, implementation will not be successful. across the island. More broadly, the waterways
to refer to systems thinking, which is reinforced If you lag too far behind, you will create under PUB’s care will become part of the “City in
all the time, including at internal talks by invited inefficiencies in the system. You can’t look a Garden” vision, making Singapore even more
speakers like Tan. at water policy in isolation. You must look at liveable as a city of gardens, water and nature.
social policies, economic policies—where
To advance systems thinking in professional they are going, when the time will be right
education, he championed the Ministry of the to introduce the kind of water policies you
Environment and Water Resources’ Centre for want, and so on.
Environmental Training, which ran 400 training
programmes annually on average for ministry Having addressed some of the more urgent
staff and others. At the centre, research is water requirements, in 2007, the ABC Waters
conducted in areas including waste recycling, programme was unveiled by PUB. The aim
public health and pollution control. Research is, of of this programme is to take water structures
course, also important for all the industry sectors beyond utilitarian water collection, storage and

Building a
02
Sustainable City
Chapter Two

02
Building a Sustainable City
Singapore’s built environment is admired 1 What worked in Singapore’s favour, he says,

for many reasons—chiefly, its remarkable was the practice of conducting urban planning
consistency in offering all foundational aspects Connecting Singapore to the World together with transport planning, which not
of a liveable city, and how it continues to many countries consider. If the original plan
enhance its infrastructure to support the city’s One key aspect of Singapore’s urban in the 1970s for the proposed site for an
growth. infrastructure is the extent to which this small international airport at Paya Lebar had gone
island is linked to the rest of the globe, and how ahead, it would never have become the world’s
The three engineers featured in this chapter well this connectivity is conceptualised, built and best airport, as there would have been very little
have helped Singapore become a more sustained. Singapore has been a centre for global space to expand. As it turned out, then Prime
sustainable city in major areas, as it happened, trade and commerce throughout its history. This Minister Lee Kuan Yew wanted the international
in the air, on land and at sea: was the case even centuries before the arrival airport to be by the coast at Changi, thus not
of the British, mainly because of its strategic limiting development in the vicinity with height
location. The best economic dividend of this restrictions, and also having the scope and liberty
1 geographical blessing is connectivity to the world.
Chapter Two
to expand further out into the sea through land

Liew Mun Leong was instrumental from the reclamation.
outset in not only making Changi Airport the One asset of connectivity is Singapore’s Changi
world’s best, but also in enabling it to stay at Airport, which serves more than 65 million Putting all the pieces together for the airport
“You can compete
ABOVE
the top with constant, daring reinvention. passengers annually, travelling on an estimated Liew Mun Leong required adopting a holistic, systematic and
2
120 airlines to about 380 cities in about 100
territories worldwide. This was possible due to
on only one thing— Credit: Changi Airport
Group
scientific approach. In fact, even where to
systems. We are very

construct an airport is itself a doctoral research
Chang Meng Teng’s role in the development an integrated, holistic approach that allowed it to BELOW subject, Liew notes. “An airport is one of the
of Singapore’s power grid was essential build ahead of demand. good at systems View of the sunken car
park at Changi Airport
most complex public infrastructures to build
in realising the national economic and
industrialisation strategy. Getting the airport right in the first place, and in Singapore—not Terminal 1.
Credit: National Archives
and operate,” he says, because of the need to
integrate and harmonise many elements that
then fuelling its expansion and enhancement to only in developing of Singapore are independent and yet interdependent. These
3 become the world’s best, has required studious
Tan Ee Ping contributed towards establishing and sustained management of what Changi systems but also in
Singapore’s shipbuilding industry, which has Airport Group Chairman Liew Mun Leong calls maintaining discipline
for systems.”
also gone on to become a world leader. “a complex system of systems”. This is a task he
has managed at all levels starting from when he
was a Public Works Department (PWD) engineer
after graduating in civil engineering from the
University of Singapore. He worked on building
the first runway from the beginning in 1975, and
later, on the construction of Terminals 1 and 2.
“Engineering has taught me to be…systematic in
thinking about solutions to problems; to be a very
pragmatic person, and at the same time, never
forgetting to be cautious and building in margins
of safety in any plan.”

aspects range from basic efficiency and safety Across complex interdependencies including —a successful airport is one that can earn enough 1970s, the idea for the commercial development
related to the handling of aircraft, passengers ground transport, air traffic control, terminal from satisfying passenger demand for shopping, was conceived by systemically thinking about
and baggage, to a spectrum of unpredictable operations and cargo, a bottleneck at any dining and entertainment. This is why Changi optimising land use at Changi Airport.
demands, including managing major disruptions touchpoint can cause a domino effect across Airport seeks to excel in catering to more than 60
from the external environment such as floods airport operations. Technology plays a crucial million passenger-shoppers a year—this is crucial, All aspects of the airport’s environment were
and volcanic ash. Hence, close attention to detail role too, given the multiple complex engineering as non-aeronautical revenues make up almost half studied carefully for structural and environmental
is non-negotiable: “Being paranoid forces me to and IT sub-systems that work hand-in-hand at of the airport’s total revenue. sustainability, because they are so closely inter-
plan ahead to deal with even the most remotely the airport. These include the baggage handling related. For example, Jewel’s dome has more than
possible adversity…the consequence of not doing system, as well as newer innovations such as the Jewel Changi Airport, the new mixed-use complex 9,000 pieces of specially manufactured glass,
so may be regretful and unforgiving,” he wrote, integrated fast and seamless travel (FAST) self- adjacent to Terminal 1 that opened in April 2019, which allow maximum sunlight in, but also have
in a note to staff, published in his book Building service platforms that leverage biometrics and are is the latest—and best—example, Liew says, of the ability to cut thermal heat. This means less
People: Sunday Emails from A Chairman, fully automated. Additionally, there is the aspect the systems approach applied to build and sustain energy needs to be used, and it also allows more
Volume 4. of providing the best passenger experience while the airport. Constructed on the site of a sunken than 2,000 trees and 100,000 shrubs to survive
seeking financial sustainability at the same time car park for Terminal 1 that was built in the indoors. To provide comfort and to conserve
LEFT
energy, ground cooling slabs are used, and air-
Jewel, the most complex conditioning is provided not for the whole dome
“system of systems” so but only up to a height of about two metres from
far in the development of
the ground.
Changi Airport.
Credit: Changi Airport
Group The official go-ahead for Jewel—now hailed
as an industry game-changer—depended on
persuading all key stakeholders on various facets
of sustainability. It took three years to secure
all the approvals needed for this project. There
were concerns about traffic congestion at the
airport, whether the large number of retail outlets
would adversely affect the surrounding malls,
and whether the complex would aggravate the
problem of a shortage in retail workers. Liew
and his team made sure these concerns were
addressed, and then convinced the Singapore
Government that the project was crucial for
Singapore’s long-term strategy as a leading global
aviation hub.
As it turned out, the successful opening of Jewel

now makes it a model for other major projects of
the built environment for the next few decades. In
his National Day message 2019, Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong named Jewel among the six

major infrastructure projects in the next phase of this model literally, in concrete terms. During system that he believes was largely introduced in
remaking Singapore. The other five are: Changi his time at CapitaLand Group, as founding China by Raffles City malls. Indeed, Raffles City
Airport Terminal 5, Tuas Megaport, the Jurong President and CEO between 2000 and 2012, he malls have done so well in the country that their
Lake District, the redevelopment of Paya Lebar spearheaded the building of eight Raffles City staff who secure and manage tenants are highly
Airbase and the Greater Southern Waterfront. developments across China, from Shanghai to sought after, and even their security guards
Chongqing. command higher salaries.
Global competition in the airline industry is so
intense that planning for the next phase of Changi The kind of mixed development seen in a typical In Liew’s view, the key attribute of organisational
Airport’s development is already underway. Raffles City requires many aspects to work culture is discipline, as seen in operational
Again, building ahead of demand will require well. There has to be a critical mass of retail efficiency and integrity of character. This is also
sound judgment and systematic attention to all tenants, the hotel entrance has to be systemically why, in connecting a sustainable city to the world,
key facets of construction. Terminal 5, which is planned to segregate footfall, and malls, offices Changi Airport does so well. For example, at
scheduled to open in the 2030s to cater to 50 straddle all engineering disciplines and adopt ABOVE and car parks must have easy access and exit. some other airports, baggage handlers do not
More than 9,000 pieces
million passengers, will need systems planning a systems approach will be at the forefront of “Those [malls] are really systems. You might pick up bags that have “priority” tags first, hence
of glass were specially
and engineering at a whole new scale. The new engineering and project leadership. manufactured for the think it is very simple, but I think we have really undermining the priority system. As he says:
terminal will have a floor area multiple times façade of Jewel. championed the mixed development concept in
Credit: Credit: Matteo
that of VivoCity, one of the largest retail malls The impetus for a collaborative approach, while China, ahead of many countries.” In a market like China, you cannot compete
Morando – own
in Singapore, and large tunnels will connect it maintaining a “helicopter view” in overall work, CC BY-SA 4.0 on capital, technology and manpower. You
to the other terminals. The rooftop of such a management of a project, was a key learning in https://commons. There is also a cultural dimension. Raffles City can compete on only one thing—systems.
large building will pose an architectural and 1985 while building Terminal 2. With 11,000 wikimedia.org/w/index. malls in China sell Singaporean food and beverage We are very good at systems in Singapore—
php?curid=78179622
engineering challenge, requiring deep expertise critical path activities of one-month duration, favourites like roti prata and teh tarik. These not only in developing systems but also in
and innovative solutions. the “traditional model” of one design architect lifestyle and cultural aspects were “incorporated maintaining discipline for systems.
leading a team of engineers, quantity surveyors, naturally”, he says, as part of the food court sub-
The scale of the building and the challenge will be contractors and other professionals, was ruled
LEFT
unprecedented and cutting-edge technology must out. Instead, the new project management model Raffles City Chongqing in
be incorporated to solve engineering problems, comprised a team of project managers with China, one of nine Raffles
Liew reckons. “In the 21st century, everything distinct yet interwoven areas of responsibility City developments, each
of which is a system in
is going to be scaled up, whether it is finance, managing the three main critical components
itself.
engineering methods, people…and the only way to of time, cost and quality. This framework has Credit: Junyi Lou –
resolve scale is with systems thinking.” A glimpse since become an industry norm for project Own work, CC BY-SA
management. 4.0, https://commons.

of the future can already be seen in the FAST
wikimedia.org/w/index.
system at Terminal 4, where technology such as php?curid=81872457
facial recognition enables new levels of efficiency To encapsulate all the complexity of building and
and security. maintaining an airport, Liew drew an analogy
between the integrated ecosystem of an airport
Owing to these developments in technology, he and the “mixed development” concept that
observes, the “traditional” disciplines of civil, has become a signature feature of Singapore’s
mechanical and electrical engineering are no urban development—blending accommodation,
longer going to be the only ones occupying the commercial and retail facets into an integrated
core of engineering. Technologists who can system. Once again, the engineer in him applied

2
Providing the Spark for Singapore’s Those were days when electricity maintenance RIGHT
Industrialisation required a lot more manpower. Electricity supply

Republic Plaza has
intelligent building
is provided through a complicated network of features that came out of
Singapore sparkles in many ways. It is electricity cables, transformers and circuit breakers that integrated collaboration
that provides and sustains the spark, making the comprise the transmission and distribution between engineers and
many allied professionals,
place come to life. Engineers like Chang Meng network, which is vital to a reliable electrical including architects and
Teng, an electrical engineer in the electricity supply. This network of equipment is mostly surveyors.
department of the Public Utilities Board (PUB) remote and unattended, which could mean that Credit: Nicolas Lannuzel,
CC BY-SA 2.0
from 1967 to the mid-1970s, have played a problematic equipment could go undetected till a
crucial role in lighting up the city. Chang was serious fault occurs. “In the early days, we needed
instrumental in the development of Singapore’s a lot of manpower because it was all manual.
power grid and worked on vital facilities They had to run down to all the substations if
including the Pasir Panjang power station and anything happened. And our substations are all
Paya Lebar Airport. The timely and reliable over Singapore.” By the late 1970s, a centralised
supply of electricity was essential to realising the data and control system was introduced by PUB,
national economic and industrialisation strategy. using computerised control and a new energy
management system at the Ayer Rajah substation
In the 1960s and 1970s, British engineers from
ABOVE
Chang Meng Teng “The engineer may that enabled remote control and monitoring
colonial times were still working at PUB, Chang not be the glamorous of networks, which improved efficiency
recalls in a 2011 book titled Brighter: Electricity tremendously. Today, even more powerful, state-
In Singapore: From Beginning To Beyond, which public face of a project, of-the-art systems are used. These systems are
RIGHT
An example of an
marks 100 years of electricity in Singapore. More but he or she plays continually being improved to further enhance integrated approach
to engineering: HDB
homegrown engineers like Chang were being
sent for overseas training with major electrical an essential part in all response time and effectiveness.
Hub complex in Toa
Payoh, which won the
industry manufacturers, but it was not until the we take for granted In 1979, Chang moved to the private sector and BCA Energy-efficient
around us.”
1980s that Asian engineers were fully recognised. BuildingAward.
co-founded the engineering consultancy firm
Credit: User Sengkang
Squire Mech with fellow engineers and architects – Own work, copyright-
In those early years, an integrated approach from the firm RSP. It was his belief that strategic free use.
to solving engineering problems came about the electrical faults they had attended to collaboration between engineers and allied
from learning on the job and pooling ground and how they resolved them. We could professionals, including surveyors, would produce
experience. What the young engineers did was sit there till 7 or 8 o’clock listening to these a highly positive multiplier effect, especially for
to pick up knowledge from the old hands, who stories. larger infrastructure projects.
passed on what they knew, willingly. He says:
He found this informal sharing so useful that His major projects included the Green Mark Gold
In those days, there was a lot of team spirit when he was President of the Senior Officers’ award-winning intelligent building, Republic
among the engineers. At Armenian Street, Association at PUB, he initiated luncheon Plaza, where he and his design team developed a
we had a chill-out area in the coffee shop sharing sessions, where everyone would spend software system for Asia-Pacific’s largest double-
opposite the substation. After work, young 45 minutes during lunch on a discussion about decker lift system. It maximised the efficiency
engineers like me drank coffee there with the someone’s latest overseas course or attachment of transporting 6,000 people in the 66-storey
older engineers. They told us stories about with a manufacturer. building. This saved energy, reduced floor space

“...strategic collaboration
between engineers and 3
for the lift and, in doing so, maximised rentable allied professionals, BELOW
Integrated Infrastructure Development
floor space. Another significant project was the including surveyors, Jurong Industrial Estate
in the early 1970s, the for Economic Growth
would produce a highly

HDB Hub complex in Toa Payoh, which won the cradle of Singapore’s
BCA Energy-efficient Building Award. industrialisation, was the A key success factor for Singapore has been
positive multiplier effect, outcome of engineers’
integrated approach to
its openness—it has always been a welcoming
Chang believes knowledge is meaningless if
it is not passed on to future generations. He
especially for larger planning, design and home with a conducive environment for
project management. companies from overseas. This is evident
has contributed much to the promotion of infrastructure projects.” Credit: JTC Corporation
from the sustained inflow of multinational
engineering as a profession of choice here companies—since the 1960s—looking to set
in Singapore. As President of the Institution up base in the city-state to command their
of Engineers Singapore (1990–1992), he regional and international expansion efforts
championed a Continuing Education Centre, from. The development of Singapore’s built
which evolved into today’s IES Academy for environment in the past five decades has
engineers’ lifelong learning. His belief is reflected fast paced and ever changing. We should seek to required close coordination between agencies
in his speech made at the Professional Engineers learn not solely for knowledge itself, but with the such as the Economic Development Board and
Board Day of Dedication 2014: “Learning is a aim of application of our knowledge to make lives JTC Corporation (earlier known as the Jurong
continuous process. The field of engineering is better for people and contribute to society.” Town Corporation). The key is to maintain
ABOVE
Tan Eee Ping “There are a lot of other
a stakeholder-sensitive strategy to enhance
economic growth in an integrated manner.
Credit: The Straits
Times © Singapore
things that engineers
This is done by providing all major facilities Press Holdings
Limited. Reprinted with
also have to acquire
and support infrastructure that foreign
multinationals require for their initial business
permission.
in terms of knowledge
relocation to Singapore and subsequent and experience
expansion from here.
to be all-rounded,
Jurong Industrial Estate was central to this well-balanced and
strategy, both as staging post as well as launch
experienced.”
pad. Jurong became a magnet for brick-and-
mortar companies, including manufacturers
requiring land for factories with enough space
for assembly lines, and even chemical and
other companies requiring more facilities such this, Jurong Industrial Estate has continued to
as for the safe disposal of waste materials. grow, accommodating multinationals moving up
the value chain into higher-tech sectors.
Since then, the requirements of companies
have evolved with the onset of the Fourth Building Jurong and keeping it going was possible
Industrial Revolution. Today, companies are only with the integrated approach adopted by
less dependent on a physical setting and more pioneer engineers involved in the industrial
on abstract factors like mindset, skills and estate’s planning, design and project management.
communications connectivity. Through all of Tan Ee Ping is one of those veteran engineers.

He advises young engineers to always draw Tan, who graduated in 1964 as a civil engineer
ideas from a larger context to offer the best from the University of Malaya, worked for
solutions. This is his perspective on the need for the Economic Development Board and Jurong
holistic approaches towards solving engineering Town Corporation (now JTC Corporation)
challenges. Speaking at the 2016 Day of after graduation until 1969. In addition to
Dedication of the Professional Engineers Board, Jurong Industrial Estate, he also worked on
he emphasised the professional responsibility and crucial amenities that were part of the original
duty of care of engineers, which is inseparable foundations of the built environment for
from the concept of legal liability: Singapore’s economic development, including
Jurong Port with its deep-water wharves and
It is imperative that engineers should not facilities for fishery and warehousing, the Metal
just be conversant with design, but there Industries Development Centre and Jurong
are a lot of other things that engineers also Marine Base.
have to acquire in terms of knowledge and
experience to be all-rounded, well-balanced Tan moved to the private sector in 1970, setting
and experienced. up an engineering consulting firm in his own
name. There, he continued to contribute to the
The focus of engineers’ work, he believes, is development of Jurong Industrial Estate through
to weigh constraints and conflicting interests, building up the shipbuilding industry, in projects
and to make professional judgments based on including Hitachi Robin Dockyard and Robin
experience, to seek optimum solutions in terms Shipyard. These efforts helped Singapore become
of function, quality, cost and time. However, one of the world’s premier and largest ship repair
meeting more complex and demanding project centres, as well as a leading builder of rigs,
requirements and to offer value-added work and offshore structures and smaller ships.
services requires taking into account new and promoting a similar spirit of innovation, his construction system. As Singapore continues to ABOVE
Jurong Port’s deep-
additional types of knowhow. In the 1980s, his contributions moved to the service to the profession includes chairing the focus on developing its built environment in a
water wharves and
aviation sector, mainly for the development research collaboration between the Building and sustainable manner, such grit to innovate and to facilities for fishery and
These other areas of expertise include project of Changi Airport, providing engineering Construction Authority and NTU on flat plate foster innovation will be increasingly crucial for warehousing, part of the
original foundations of
management, communication and legal consultancy services for projects. This included building structures. He has persistently promoted the future.
the built environment for
knowledge, he told his audience of newly- features such as the flyover bridge over the the adoption of precast, prefabricated reinforced Singapore’s economic
accredited engineers: East Coast Parkway and the innovative design, concrete elements in enhancing the industry’s development.
prefabrication, installation and delivery of mobile construction quality and productivity to alleviate Credit: Jurong Port
When commissioned to do work, it is tail docks for maintenance of Singapore Airlines Singapore’s over-reliance on foreign labour.
important, while rendering service, to bear aircraft. His private sector work has also included
in mind that there are things beyond our projects overseas, from China to the Maldives. He played a part to create another milestone in
knowledge and experience; and when you Singapore’s building construction history when
get into that sort of situation, you should Tan is an innovator himself, holding a patent he was commissioned to provide independent
consult somebody else or appoint a granted in 1990 for his invention of a space professional structural review and design analysis
consultant. frame system by the Comptroller-General of for the world’s tallest residential project using
Patent, Design and Trade Work, London. In the prefabricated and pre-finished volumetric

Reaching
03
New Heights
Chapter Three

03
Reaching New Heights
LEFT
A number of prominent
developments that shaped
the skyline of Singapore’s
Central Business District
were led by Dr Nasim and
his team.
Credit: Mokkie - Own
work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://
commons.wikimedia.org/w/
index.php?curid=54663355
RIGHT
Chapter Three
One Raffles Place, formerly

OUB Centre, was the world’s
tallest skyscraper outside
North America when it was
completed in 1986.
Credit: Choo Yut Shing/
Flickr/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Cities are usually planned by the public sector, Chairman of Meinhardt International Group, a away. You have to future-proof these things for
but built by a combination of public and private firm he joined as a structural engineer in 1978. the long term.”
sector entities and actors. Close collaboration Within seven years, he was managing director
between government and business is a key of the company’s Singapore operations, and he The ideal mechanism for such systems integration
success factor in Singapore’s national systems subsequently went on to buy the company in is the combined services tunnel, an extensive
approach to urban development. One private 2010, moving its headquarters from Melbourne network of underground tunnels that connects
sector player who has featured prominently in to Singapore. The firm is known internationally buildings in an extended area, and houses
this journey is Dr Shahzad Nasim, who played a for its innovative, cost-effective and buildable electrical and telecommunication cables, district
leading role in managing the engineering works engineering solutions for very tall buildings and cooling and water pipes, and a pneumatic
for most major buildings in and around Marina complex infrastructure projects. refuse conveyance system. This subterranean
Bay and the city centre, including OUB Centre facility allows for new connections to be added
(later renamed One Raffles Place), which was the According to him, in Singapore’s cityscape, or changed underground in the future, and for
world’s tallest skyscraper outside North America Marina Bay is the best example of “complete maintenance and engineering services to be
when it was completed in 1986. integration”—a systems approach to forecasting upgraded as and when technology changes,
future needs, providing now for adjustments without causing any disruption above the surface.
“Urban systems engineering is a technological, later, and overcoming things that stand in the
integrated approach to planning the cityscape way, such as the default human behaviour of The combined services tunnel at Marina Bay is a
and infrastructure so that it works for the benefit working in silos. “Everything has been pre- prime example of forward-thinking provision in
of citizens,” says Dr Nasim, Group Executive planned and a lot of the hurdles have been taken Singapore’s national systems approach to urban

planning, which has a story going further To a large extent, Marina Bay is a perfect
back in time. The land adjacent to the Central platform for urban systems engineering. The
Business District had been reclaimed in phases reclaimed land there offered almost a blank slate
between 1969 and 1992, but the long-term for all building aspects to be conceptualised and
vision for Marina Bay was first crystallised in weaved together from the very beginning. Away
the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA’s) Typical Braced from Marina Bay, in most other locations, the
Frame
1983 conceptual Master Plan. systems approach can also be realised by applying
the same holistically technological approach,
The long history of such a long-term, integrated but precinct by precinct. A good example of this
approach to planning in Singapore shows that active systems approach is Dr Nasim’s work on
the integration of systems, stakeholders and OUB Centre, with Tower 1 completed in 1986.
needs is not something that happens naturally, There was no precedent then for constructing this
Dr Nasim observes. “Everyone is used to doing 280-metre building with four basements, which
Plan Floor
just their part of the work; very few people take Truss was highly non-symmetrical, with lift shafts
an integrated approach.” What differentiates at the rear and only two columns in front. The
an urban systems engineer is taking an active, solution that Dr Nasim and his team settled on
rather than passive, approach to realising a was to build a composite steel building, the first
building plan, he says. with a mega-frame, with a foundation that was
the deepest in the world, with very large caissons
Good Relations with the Private Sector,
and Maintaining Integrity
Typical R.C.
Shear Wall
(watertight retaining structures) using special
equipment from Japan.
ABOVE
Dr Shahzad Nasim. “Engineers…need to
Credit: Meinhardt Group
question the status
Ever since the 1960s, urban renewal in
Singapore has not only been a means to improve
The 63-storey skyscraper was the first in Asia
with no internal columns and had to have the
quo, think out of the
living conditions but also a way to generate highest-speed lifts available. With the Raffles box and come up
economic growth and jobs. To facilitate the Place MRT station set to be built right next door,
safeguards for stability had to be put in place so
with unconventional
implementation of the Concept Plan and Master
Plan, state land is released for development that the excavation for the subway later on would solutions. That
through the Government Land Sales (GLS) not affect the building. A retention system was includes rejigging
programme. The identification of GLS sites, placed in the basement foundation to keep the
which is planned for and announced every soil in position to accommodate the excavation. the design…the best
six months, is a means to harness resources outcome is about
of both the public and private sectors, with a Devising such a solution required systems
proactive government seeking partnership with ABOVE thinking. Dr Nasim says: improving safety,
developers to understand market needs. Public
The steel mega-frame
design adopted for Tower environmental
sustainability, cost
officials have to balance between establishing 1 of One Raffles Place, An urban systems approach means that
a good relationship with the private sector, formerly OUB Centre, allows engineers, working with other stakeholders,
and maintaining the integrity of the system—a
for column-free office
space.
need to question the status quo, think out of and time.”
principle upheld to this day. Credit: Meinhardt Group the box and come up with unconventional
solutions. That includes rejigging the design.

LEFT You have to get the best outcome, and the
One Raffles Link, a
best outcome is about improving safety,
six-storey column-free
high-tech office building, environmental sustainability, cost and time.
was tailor-made to cater
to financial institutions. The megastructure approach first used at OUB
Credit: Meinhardt Group
Centre came to be recognised by the industry as
safe and smart, and a similar approach is now
used in many projects, such as for the Merdeka
PNB 118, a 118-storey skyscraper currently
under construction in Kuala Lumpur, which will
be the tallest in the country once completed.
Working Together on Singapore’s Biggest

Future Development Challenge
Looking to the future, Dr Nasim thinks that

Singapore’s biggest development challenge is
not knowing the foundation layouts and related
details of old buildings and infrastructure without
any records dating back beyond 40 years. To
remedy this, the Singapore government has been
investing in R&D. For example, Virtual Singapore,
a dynamic three-dimensional (3D) city model and
collaborative data platform, including 3D maps of
Singapore for use by people and the public, private
and research sectors, is a project championed
by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and
supported by Singapore Land Authority (SLA)
and Government Technology Agency of Singapore
(GovTech).
This model will enable the development of

sophisticated tools and applications for test-
bedding concepts and services, planning and
decision-making, and research on technologies to
solve emerging and complex building challenges.
In addition, there are also R&D efforts in the
area to enhance underground mapping accuracy.
A better understanding of what lies below
the ground will facilitate better planning and

“Government
decision-making, thus reducing the cost of
agencies are always LEFT
very forward-looking
CityLink Mall, completed
underground development. Such efforts to create
in 2000, provided bright
a digital map of the whole island will allow and pleasant connections
Singapore to apply a systems approach to the
overall development of the country. and seek good ideas. for users linking the
developments in the
vicinity of the Marina
Beyond hardware, putting a whole system There is a lot of Centre area and City Hall
MRT Station.
study, research and

together also means integrating the “software” Credit: Chun Hong Lim -
Own work.
of meeting human needs, which entails
understanding the culture and habits of human
stakeholders and working around them. Such an
approach is encapsulated in the One Raffles Link
consultation before
and CityLink Mall project, which Dr Nasim and
his team were involved in. Developed together devising rules.”
with One Raffles Link, a six-storey column-free
office building, CityLink Mall is Singapore’s first
purpose-built underground shopping centre. To
provide direct and convenient connections to
public transport and to encourage pedestrian
activities, especially in Singapore’s hot and
humid weather, the fully air-conditioned tunnel this is unique to Singapore—the way universities technical specialisations to brainstorm ideas,
incorporated shops as well as food and beverage work so closely with industry to stay abreast put together computer models to predict how
outlets. High ceilings, skylights with coloured of the industry’s needs, shortcomings and new the modelled buildings will “behave”, and then
lightings, and sophisticated exhaust and air- trends in areas such as information technology recommend the best solution to use for project
filtration systems are some of the features and post-tensioned and precast concrete. proposals. “Everyone looks for the best solution;
installed to give the mall a pleasant and clean it takes out the guesswork and overcomes
environment. As for nurturing the next generation of engineers, passive engineering,” he explains. “Innovation
industrial work-study programmes include is not something that you do once-off; it’s in an
A Team-Oriented Approach to Finding attachments with firms like Meinhardt during the organisation’s culture.”
Holistic Solutions 4-year degree course, which enables them to learn
how design and other aspects of engineering can This kind of comprehensive application
To help foster an even more holistic engineering adopt and apply a systems approach. In this way, of a systems engineering approach must
approach in Singapore, Dr Nasim contributes in when these students graduate and start work, have prompted the Ministry of National
a few ways, including serving on the industry “they are useful on day one”. Development to involve Dr Nasim and his team in
advisory committees for the schools of civil and formulating the national Construction Industry
environmental engineering at institutions such as Dr Nasim seeks to nurture such a team-oriented Transformation Map in close partnership and
NTU and the Singapore Institute of Technology approach to find holistic solutions among consultation with the industry, trade associations
(SIT), where he interacts with the engineering his engineers. A culture of innovation and and chambers, unions and institutes of higher
faculty to help them understand the current and research is cultivated by having group design learning. Led by the Future Economy Council,
future practical needs of the profession. He thinks teams of several staff members from different which is responsible for driving the growth

“Beyond hardware,
putting a whole system and transformation of Singapore’s economy upgrading people’s skills so they can interact well
together also means for the future, this initiative aims to transform
the construction sector and enable its adoption
with the new technologies. “You have to change
habits; not everyone is ready for technology.”
integrating the "software"

of technologies to make it more advanced and
integrated. The vision includes training 80,000
of meeting human
professionals specialising in three key areas—
green buildings, integrated digital delivery and
design for manufacturing and assembly—
needs, which entails by 2025.
understanding the This is an excellent example of how the

private sector plays a major role in helping
culture and habits of

shape Singapore’s built environment not
only downstream in realising actual building
human stakeholders and

projects, but also in the very upstream stages of
conceptualising and planning from a national
perspective. This is only possible because in
working around them.” Singapore, Dr Nasim notes, “government agencies

are always very forward-looking, and seek
good ideas. There is a lot of study, research and
consultation before devising rules.”
Partnership between the public and private

sectors in Singapore looks set to remain just as
deep, going into the next phase of the economy.
As Singapore advances its Smart Nation Initiative,
launched in 2014, the government will need
to maintain a successful economic partnership
with the private sector, in areas including the
harnessing of technology, greater access to data
and technology-enabled participatory policy
making approaches. Engineers can help by
making the interface of technology infrastructure
with the public as seamless as possible.
Along with the planning and installation of new

technology for public use, effort has to be made
to bring users on board. Building a smart nation,
Dr Nasim says, is not just about putting in the
technological systems, but also about training and

Engineering the
04
Future
Chapter Four

04
Engineering the Future
RIGHT
Cham welcoming President “When you deal with
Wee Kim Wee to the opening
of Nanyang Technological
real engineering
Institute in 1981, where Prof
Cham applied a systems
problems, it’s always
approach in engineering
education for decades.
multi-disciplinary;
Second from left are then
Education Minister Tony
you don’t just solve
Tan and then Chairman of
NTI Council Michael Fam.
one engineering
Credit: National Archives of problem, there
are always other
Singapore
implications.”
Chapter Four
ABOVE He went on to champion a similarly broad-based

Cham Tao Soon
curriculum and pedagogy, and continues to
Credit: Singapore
For urban systems engineering to have shaped effort to engineer the future, as this approach is University of Social advocate such an approach to this day.
Singapore’s built environment to the extent it has, continually being applied to adapt and integrate Sciences
there must have been some decisive quality in the new technologies, techniques and methods. While Cham was serving as the founding
making of Singaporean engineers. Perhaps there President of NTI, he was also double hatting at
was a little extra in their education and training A key player in this process over the decades the National University of Singapore (NUS), as
across generations, not only at university but long has been Cham Tao Soon, President Emeritus Dean of Engineering from 1978 to 1983. As the
after, in the lifelong learning that is essential in of Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Dean, he ensured that all courses across different
keeping a practising engineer at the top of his or Cham served there for 21 years from 1981 as a disciplines of engineering were common in the
her game. founding President, first at the fledgling Nanyang first two years, so that students could absorb the
Technological Institute (NTI), the predecessor general fundamentals of engineering before they
Indeed, one of Singapore’s success factors to NTU, and later of NTU. He made sure branched out to the various disciplines of civil,
was applying a holistic way of thinking and engineering students had a broad-based study of mechanical or electrical engineering. As a result,
working to its engineering education sector the fundamentals not only at NTU, but at other students were able to draw on a foundation of
in the formative decades. This is an ongoing universities and institutes that he worked at too. broad-based understanding as they specialised in

“In real life, there’s
a particular discipline, making their experience
very little that Going broad rather than deep was the rationale BELOW he advocated diverse fields of study, including
is just A to B, it’s
Cham who is no stranger
richer. “To me, that is the way to produce behind his coining of the term “practice- niche and emerging needs from across the whole
to the rail industry in
engineers with a systems approach,” he says. oriented curriculum” to differentiate NTI (and Singapore, was appointed spectrum of academic disciplines, from early
usually A to Z.”
later NTU) from the more established NUS. A the head of Singapore Rail childhood education to gerontology.
Academy in 2016. Seen
Cham’s broad approach to knowledge came from hands-on stance in staying focused on real-life
here at the launch of the
a mindset he developed when pursuing his own concerns inevitably demands consideration Singapore Rail Academy
A “System of Life” in the Classroom
first degree in civil engineering at the University of other disciplines and dimensions: “When with Transport Minister
of Malaya on a Singapore State Scholarship in you deal with real engineering problems, it’s Khaw Boon Wan, LTA Chief Unlike the usual undergraduate classroom, at
Executive Ngien Hoon
1960. At the time, Singapore did not have an always multidisciplinary; you don’t just solve UniSIM there was something of a “system of life”.
Ping and LTA Chief Deputy
engineering department. His education there was one engineering problem, there are always other Executive Chua Chong As the students at UniSIM were working adults,
even more broad-based than at NUS—three out implications.” Kheng. they could bring their problems from the worlds
Credit: Land Transport
of the four years had a common curriculum. He of business and government to class. Seeing such
Authority
explains that in Malaysia, students had to learn Cham has certainly made significant practical applicability, students realised these
the basic facets of engineering because “when contributions in laying the foundations of a issues were not unique to any discipline and that
you graduate, you are sent to a district where you holistic way of thinking and working as part of ideas and insights were needed from varied areas
may be the only engineer in that whole area, and the “DNA” of engineering university education of expertise. It would be practically impossible
therefore you must know everything”. in Singapore. Even after leaving NTU in 2002, to slip into narrow, theoretical abstraction. By
he went on to promote the idea of assuming a the same token, the lecturers recruited were
The Value of a Wider Perspective wider perspective on knowledge when setting those with “good working experience”, and were
up the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) drawn from diverse backgrounds. They adopted
Ironically, it was this traditional, rural district University in 2005. This was with a mandate a practical, hands-on approach to gaining and
necessity that nurtured his modern, urban from the Ministry of Education to pioneer private imparting knowledge. In short, they were always
mindset about how engineering can help shape a university education for working adults. As the bringing concrete experience from “the real
future-oriented environment. Although he himself founding Chancellor and Chairman of UniSIM, world” to the classroom.
went on to earn a doctorate in fluid mechanics
from Cambridge University, he understood “In real life, there’s very little that is just A to
closely that while scientists require in-depth B, it’s usually A to Z,” says Cham, summing up
specialisation, developing a wider perspective was the need to reach for solutions by taking the
more valuable for practising engineers. longer and sometimes circuitous route. This
approach includes considering all relevant aspects
When he started his career as a lecturer at while seeking to predict and pre-empt potential
NUS, he already held a holistic view towards problems. His grasp of the operational dynamic
modernising engineering education, and when is straightforward—in setting out to lead a group
he was extended the opportunity to start an to achieve an objective, once you ensure the
engineering school at NTI, he envisioned a school parameters are right, the organisation will then
with a difference. Not convinced by what he saw have a culture with a systems approach.
as engineering’s excessive emphasis on academia
and theory, he recruited lecturers with extensive This, after all, should be the nature of an ideal
industry experience. collegiate campus—always guarding against
retreating into the human default behaviours of a

silo mentality of selfish hoarding of information. RIGHT
Delivery of the first MRT
For example, when NTU wanted to set up a trains at the Bishan Depot
technopreneurship centre, one idea was to house on 8 July 1986.
this in the business school, but Cham was sure Credit: National Archives
of Singapore
that doing so would have resulted in failure,
as some engineers would have hesitated to
participate in a programme run by a school that
they were not part of. Instead, the best way to
draw from a wider talent pool was to have it as a
university centre, not at any risk of favouring one
school over another, and open equally to all.
Keeping an open mind is another fundamental

aspect. Cham cites the example of current
discussions around digital transformation,
which will be heralded by the development of
smart cities, big data analysis and companies
encouraging employees to become more
conscious of disruptive technologies. However,
it takes someone who can step back and look at
the big picture—from another discipline, like a
historian—to ask the right questions about the
unforeseen consequences of the fourth industrial
revolution, and whether these changes will
adversely affect the environment. What is true
is that projections of the future are never exact,
and it is therefore suggested that people must
be conscious of the various factors at play, and
always be ready to adapt and adjust to change.
Cham’s extensive public service includes

promoting the professional development of
engineers in industry. In 2016, he was appointed
head of the Singapore Rail Academy, which
was set up to build engineering expertise and
further research capabilities. In addition, he was
entrusted with setting standards for the training
of engineers and technicians at institutions of
higher learning and at SMRT (Singapore Mass
Rapid Transit) and SBS (Singapore Bus Service)

“...projections of the future
LEFT are never exact, and it is
therefore suggested that
Other than St Petersburg’s
metro in Russia, Singapore’s
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
people must be conscious

was the only other system
in the world to be fitted with
platform screen doors at
of the various factors at

all stations when it opened
in 1987.
Credit: National Archives of
play, and always be ready to

Singapore
adapt and adjust to change.”
can affect other parts: “Everything must include requires the planners and engineers to take into
big data, whether you like it or not. You have to account many considerations and to balance
monitor many sensors, so you need a systems trade-offs. This was the approach Cham took in
approach.” his many years of service to the rail system in
Singapore—from the early 1980s when he was
Preventive maintenance is a major area where on the technical committee of the then MRT
this applies, to anticipate what might increase Corporation, to being a founding Director of
Transit networks. An indication of Cham’s different factors at play and the various the risk of breakdowns—whether in elevators or SMRT. He was then a representative on the board
belief in the systems approach is the emphasis implications of decisions. For example, managing subway lines—by looking out for signs that signal of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and then
he places not just on boosting skills but also drainage today is not simply about dealing with the imminent need for maintenance intervention. Chairman of the LTA Academy until 2014.
on fostering teamwork. The Academy’s remit water levels or hydraulics, but also about other Going beyond immediate concerns, a systems
includes promoting apprenticeship and through- facets such as complex electrical systems. approach helps determine where priorities should When the MRT system was first being developed,
train programmes for 6,000 workers in rail be placed for research and development. This is it was a huge investment for Singapore to
operations and maintenance, half of whom are Disruptive Technology Demands a crucial towards ensuring the proper monitoring of undertake, and costs had to be saved wherever
engineers and technicians. This is important Systems Approach gaps in knowledge or expertise that may require possible. One such cost-saving decision was
for Singapore, given that an additional 5,000 more funding to fill. One growing research area is for trains to have six carriages instead of eight.
workers will be needed to work on the Sometimes, it is crucial to take into account the use of robotics, for example—to check railway However, Singapore did not scrimp when it
expansion of the rail network to 360 km by more aspects, such as when the pervasive use lines through the night. This would make light comes to comfort and safety of the passengers.
2030. of a new disruptive technology changes almost work of a task otherwise much harder for human A decision was made to install air-conditioning
everything else. For example, big data offers manpower to execute. in the underground stations and screen doors
His observation was that training on its own fresh information and perspectives that compel a on the station platforms. The screen doors not
usually tends to become a bit too specialised, holistic grasp of all relevant factors. This enables A rail network demands detailed planning only helped to manage electricity costs but also
and that can be limiting, given the many analysis of how any one component of a system and management. Developing an MRT system doubled as a safety mechanism.

“Going beyond immediate
concerns, a systems
approach helps determine
As Singapore’s rail network expands, it has to
stay flexible to cater to the changing priorities
of society and the population. It also has to be
open to the application of re-engineering where
needed—something that is reflected in the
where priorities should be
continual upgrading and retro-fitting of MRT
stations and facilities over the years. For example, placed for research and
development. This is crucial
covered walkways, ramps and other features
for easier access at the stations were built only
towards ensuring the

later. These features were added with a view to
providing a more inclusive service for the whole
population, including people with disabilities
and the elderly, who have increasingly became a
national priority in a rapidly ageing society.
proper monitoring of gaps
In another 10 years, the MRT network aims in knowledge or expertise
to double its mileage and enable 95% of the
population to walk to a station within 10 that may require more
funding to fill.”
minutes. To reach this goal, Singapore’s rail
system will require flexibility and nimbleness to
adapt to change, which can only be delivered by
adopting a systems approach.

LEFT
Khoo Teng Chye
The Green Roof at Executive Director,
Centre for Liveable Cities
Marina Barrage.
Credit: IamDoctorEgg /
Shutterstock.com
engineers of the future may still have an area

of specialisation, they must be comfortable
operating across various specialist domains and
subsystems. Only then will they be able to solve
the most difficult urban systems problems, which
are only becoming exacerbated.
Singapore will keep growing, but as an island

city-state, the margin for error remains small. As
urban development intensifies, how can Singapore
continue to remain liveable? Rather than leaving
things to chance, this will require Singapore to
continue to apply urban systems innovation.
Once a squalid, slum-ridden and polluted city of
less than 2 million people in the 1950s, Singapore In earlier decades, Singapore’s engineers were
afterword
has transformed into a liveable and sustainable motivated by addressing urgent needs such
city of 5.6 million people today. Much of this as water, housing and sanitation, which were
transformation has come about through urban multi-faceted issues. Tackling these problems
systems innovations, such as “closing the water required good and thoughtful leadership to bring
loop” to produce NEWater and solving the water separate agencies and stakeholders together to
issue. Another example is how the provision manage a few component aspects holistically.
of transport services and other utilities was The challenges are arguably even more urgent
integrated into the city’s planning. Urban systems now. For example, taming the greatest threat of
innovators have been the linchpins behind these climate change may cost around S$100 billion
systemic innovations. over the next 50 to 100 years, as Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong noted in his 2019 National Day
Singapore’s urban systems innovators are Rally.
professionals who can work across interfaces
of independent, yet interdependent, systems in Remaking the built environment is an ongoing
city infrastructure. Increasingly, this is the only marathon, and Singapore’s urban systems
way to deliver good integrated policies, plans and innovators have run a remarkable race so far.
solutions. In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Now, as the baton passes to the next generation, a
technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, similar spirit of holistic, integrated planning and
and the foundation for organising and managing urban systems innovation is needed. Only then
everything is now digital. Therefore, all relevant can momentum be maintained, into the next lap
disciplines need to be integrated. While the of engineering Singapore.

Interviews, Lectures and Speeches ___. “Designing and Operating Airports: A ___. Sustainable Environment: Balancing Growth Liew, Mun Leong. “What makes Changi Airport
Complex System of Systems”. Keynote speech at with the Environment. Singapore. 2013. shine?”. The Straits Times, Singapore. 1 July 2019.
Centre for Liveable Cities. Interview with Er Tan Complex Systems Design and Management Asia
Gee Paw. July 2019. 2018. ___. Technology and the City: Foundation for a The Business Times, Singapore. “Cham Tao Soon
Smart Nation. Singapore. 2018. to head new rail academy in Singapore: LTA”. 12
___. Interview with Prof Cham Tao Soon. July Professional Engineers Board. Conversation with April 2016.
2019. Er Tan Gee Paw and Prof Cham Tao Soon. Day of ___. The Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters
Dedication, 2018. Programme: Water as an Environmental Asset. The Straits Times, Singapore. Interview with
___. Interview with Dr Shahzad Nasim. July 2019. Singapore. 2017. Meinhardt Group’s Shahzad Nasim: “He sold
Tan, Ee Ping. Acceptance speech at Professional all his assets to buy firm he works in”. 3 August
___. Interview with Er Liew Mun Leong. August Engineers Board Day of Dedication, 2016. ___. Transport: Overcoming Constraints, Sustaining 2015.
2019. Mobility. Singapore. 2013.
Tan, Gee Paw. Acceptance speech at Professional ___. Interview with Changi Airport Group’s Liew
bibliography
Cham, Tao Soon. Acceptance speech at Engineers Board Day of Dedication, 2018. ___. Urban Redevelopment: From Urban Squalor to Mun Leong: “You’ve got mail from the chairman”.
Professional Engineers Board Day of Dedication, Global City. Singapore. 2016. 25 September 2016.
2018. Tan, Tony Keng Yam. Speech by Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister for Defence at appreciation ___. Water: From Scarce Resource to National ___. Interview with Er Tan Gee Paw: “Why a
Heng, Swee Keat. Speech by Minister for Finance dinner for Prof Cham Tao Soon. 2003. Asset. Singapore. 2012. three-day week in the office is enough”. 26 May
at the launch of Sunday Emails From A Chairman 2018.
– 20th Anniversary Edition by Liew Mun Leong. Books, Reports and Periodicals ___. Working with Markets: Harnessing Market
2018 Forces and Private Sector for Development. ___. “Awards for Cham Tao Soon and Tan Gee
Centre for Liveable Cities. Urban Solutions. Four Singapore. 2017. Paw for their role in engineering profession”. 17
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National National Taps: Singapore’s Water Resilience Story. Nov 2018.
University of Singapore. Lim Tiam Seng Lecture Singapore. 2015. Centre for Liveable Cities and Civil Service
on Water Policy: “Tan Gee Paw: Learning from College. Liveable and Sustainable Cities: A
Singapore’s Journey to Greater Water Security”. Centre for Liveable Cities. Urban Systems Studies. Framework. Singapore. 2014
Youtube. 2018. Built by Singapore: From Slums to a Sustainable
Built Environment. Singapore. 2015. Koh, Buck Song and Lee, Geok Boi. Brighter:
Lee, Yi Shyan. Speech by Senior Minister of State Electricity in Singapore, from Beginning to Beyond.
(National Development) at Meinhardt Singapore's ___. Energising Singapore: Balancing Liveability and Energy Market Authority, Singapore. 2011.
40th Anniversary, 2014. Growth. Singapore. 2018.
Public Service Division, Singapore. “The
Liew, Mun Leong. Acceptance speech at ___. Industrial Infrastructure: Growing in Tandem importance of knowing your life mission:
Professional Engineers Board Day of Dedication, with the Economy. Singapore. 2013. Tan Gee Paw”. Challenge magazine. 2011.
2016.
___. Integrating Land Use and Mobility: Supporting Newspapers
___. Speech at ICBC Seminar 2016. Sustainable Growth. Singapore. 2018.
Hang, Chang Chieh. “Time to recognise merits
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Seminar 2017. Singapore. 2014. Singapore. 15 April 2016.

1 1971 Concept Plan E Economic Development Board
The first Concept Plan was drawn up in 1971, with assistance from the The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), a government
United Nations Development Programme. The focus of the Plan was to meet agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, is responsible for
the basic infrastructure needs of a new nation. It laid the foundation for strategies that enhance Singapore’s position as a global centre for
the future development of Singapore with the development of new towns, business, innovation and talent.
transport infrastructure, and parks and recreational spaces across the
island. F Future Economy Council (FEC)
The Future Economy Council (FEC) comprises members from
A Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Programme government, industry, unions, and educational and training
The ABC Waters Programme aims to create beautiful and clean streams, institutions. It is chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for
rivers and lakes with community spaces for all to enjoy. Finance Heng Swee Keat to drive the growth and transformation of
Singapore’s economy for the future.
B Building and Construction Authority (BCA)
The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is an agency under the G Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme
Ministry of National Development, championing the development of an The Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme releases State Land
excellent built environment for Singapore. “Built environment” refers to for development by private developers. The GLS Programme is an
buildings, structures and infrastructure in our surroundings that provide important mechanism for achieving key planning objectives in the
the setting for the community’s activities. long-term development of Singapore. Each GLS Programme is planned
and announced every six months. The GLS comprises sites on the
C Cabinet Confirmed List and Reserve List.
The Cabinet of Singapore led by the Prime Minister, is responsible for all
Government policies and the day-to-day administration of the affairs of the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech)
glossary
State. It is collectively responsible to the Parliament. The Government Technology Agency is a statutory board under the
Prime Minister's Office (PMO). It was restructured from the former
City in a Garden Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) in 2016
More than a ‘Garden City’, where the main function of greenery is to be with the aim to strengthen its tech capabilities and increase the
decorative, Singapore is becoming a ‘City in a Garden’, an all-embracing interconnectedness between various government networks.
living and working environment. Where space is short, green has spread to
walls and rooftops. The revolution is ‘blue’ as well as ‘green’, involving rivers Green Mark Gold Award
and canals. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Award
scheme was launched in 2005 and is an internationally recognised
D Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) green building rating system tailored for the tropical climate.
The Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS) is a superhighway for Singapore’s Depending on the level of building performance and Green Mark
used water management. The system uses deep tunnels to convey used Score, the development will be eligible for certification under one of
water entirely by gravity to three centralised treatment plants located at the the ratings, namely BCA Green Mark Gold, GoldPLUS or Platinum.
coastal areas of Singapore. The treated used water is then reclaimed and
further purified into NEWater, with excess affluent discharged to the sea in H Housing and Development Board (HDB)
an environmentally responsible manner. The HDB is a Statutory Board under the Ministry for National
Development. It is the primary agency in charge of resettlement and
the provision of alternative public housing.

J JTC Corporation Ministry of Environment (ENV)
JTC Corporation (JTC) is the lead agency in Singapore to spearhead the The Ministry of Environment was first formed in 1972 to tackle issues
planning, promotion and development of a dynamic industrial landscape. such as pollution control, sewerage, drainage and environmental health.
Since its inception in 1968, JTC has played a major role as the specialist The Ministry was renamed to what is known today as the Ministry of the
agency tasked to spearhead the planning and development of industrial Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) to better reflect the Ministry’s
infrastructure for Singapore's economic development. role in managing water resources.
K Kiasu N Ministry of Transport (MOT)

A term originated from Chinese, used to refer to a person “governed by The Ministry of Transport overseas the air transport, land transport and
self-interest, typically manifesting as a selfish, grasping attitude arising sea transport sectors. It is responsible for the formulation of policies and
from a fear of missing out on something.” facilitation of outcomes in the transport arena.
L Land Transport Authority (LTA) Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI)

Formed in 1995, the LTA seeks to maximise the use of the road network, Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI) was set up in 1981 on the grounds
improve public transport and develop and implement policies to guide of the former Nanyang University to educate practice-oriented engineers for
commuters to use the most appropriate transportation mode. The LTA the burgeoning Singapore economy. In 1991, NTI merged with the National
designs and supervises the construction and maintenance of roads, Institute of Education to form Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
operates traffic control systems, designs and constructs the MRT system
and administers parking regulations. Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) started out as a teaching
M Marina Barrage university on 1 July 1991, which has today transformed into a research-
The Marina Barrage is a dam built across the mouth of Marina Channel, intensive global university. Its predecessor institution was the Nanyang
creating Singapore’s 15th reservoir and the first in the heart of the city. Technological Institute (NTI). NTU became autonomous in 2006 and is
Completed in 2008, the project has since helped increase Singapore’s today one of the two largest public universities in Singapore.
water catchment from half to two-thirds of the country’s land area.
Besides providing a source of water supply and help with flood control, it National Environment Agency (NEA)
is also a lifestyle attractive venue. The NEA oversees the implementation of environmental policies. It was
formed by the Ministry of the Environment in July 2002. The NEA has
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) three divisions: Environmental Protection, Environmental Public Health and
The MRT is a rapid transit system forming the major component of the Meteorological Services.
railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial
section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang and Toa Payoh, opened on 7 National Parks Board (NParks)
November 1987, making it the second-oldest metro system in Southeast NParks is a statutory board within the Ministry of National Development.
Asia, after Manila's LRT System. The network has since grown rapidly NParks manages 1,763 hectares of parks, playgrounds, park connectors
in accordance with Singapore's aim of developing a comprehensive rail and open spaces; 3,326 hectares of nature reserves; and 4,200 hectares of
network as the backbone of the public transport system in Singapore. roadside greenery and vacant state land. (Singapore: The Encyclopedia)

National Research Foundation (NRF) S Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)
The National Research Foundation (NRF) was set up on 1 January 2006, as Established in 2009, the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is a university
a department within the Prime Minister's Office. The NRF sets the national set up for applied learning. It offers applied degree programmes targeted at
direction for research and development (R&D) by developing policies, plans growth sectors of the economy that integrates work and study.
and strategies for research, innovation and enterprise. It also funds strategic
initiatives and builds up R&D capabilities by nurturing research talent in Singapore Land Authority (SLA)
Singapore. The SLA is a Statutory Board under the Ministry of Law. It is the land use and
administration agency in charge of processing and assessing land acquisition
NEWater proposals by public agencies. The SLA is now the primary agency responsible
NEWater is a term coined by the PUB for high-grade reclaimed water that has for administering the Land Acquisitions Act.
been purified with advanced membrane and ultraviolet technologies. NEWater
is ultra-clean; it has passed more than 30,000 scientific tests and surpasses Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)
the World Health Organization's requirements for safe drinking water. The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) is Singapore’s sixth
autonomous university under the ambit of the Ministry of Education. It was
renamed from SIM University (UniSim) as part of its restructuring in 2017.
P Primary Production Department
The Primary Production Department (PPD) was formed in 1959 with the Smart Nation Initiative
amalgamation of the agriculture, co-operatives, fisheries, rural development Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched the Smart Nation Initiative in
and veterinary divisions of the Ministry of National Development. The focus 2014 with the aim to harness infocomm technologies, networks and big
was to improve production by introducing new methods of farming and data to create tech-enabled solutions to improve people’s lives and create new
fishing. When agricultural land was greatly reduced by urbanisation in 1980s, economic opportunities.
the PPD turned its attention to high-tech farms as well as the management
and inspection of imported food products. It was restructured into a statutory U University of Malaya
board and renamed the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) on 1 April The University of Malaya was founded in 1949 with the merger of the King
2000. Edward VII College of Medicine (founded in 1905) and Raffles College
(founded in 1928). The university was organised as two autonomous divisions
Public Utilities Board (PUB) on 15 January 1959, one located in Singapore and the other in Kuala Lumpur.
The PUB is the statutory board of the Ministry of the Environment and Water In 1960, these two divisions became autonomous and separate national
Resources responsible for ensuring a sustainable and efficient water supply. universities. The branch located in Singapore later became the National
The PUB regulates and oversees Singapore’s entire water supply system, which University of Singapore (NUS) after the independence of Singapore from
comprises the water catchment systems, drainage systems, water reclamation Malaysia while the branch in Kuala Lumpur retained the name University of
plants and sewage systems. Malaya.
Public Works Department Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)

The PWD had its genesis in 1833 with the appointment of George Coleman The URA is an autonomous body, responsible for land planning and
as superintendent of public works and convicts. Over the following century development control. It was created in 1974 to take over the functions of
the PWD built roads, schools, amenities and many of Singapore’s early the Urban Renewal Department of the HDB. In 1989, the URA was made
iconic buildings, such as the Supreme Court. In 1999, the department Singapore’s national conservation and planning authority. It acts as a
was corporatised as PWD Corporation and in 2002 was renamed CPG coordinator for redevelopment plans, integrating the development of transport
Corporation. into these plans, and implements policies arising from laws on land-use.

acknowledgement
The Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) and the Professional
Engineers Board (PEB) would like to thank the following
individuals and organisations for their contributions to this
book (in alphabetical order):
INDIVIDUALS
Cham Tao Soon
Chang Meng Teng
Liew Mun Leong
Shahzad Nasim
Tan Ee Ping
Tan Gee Paw
ORGANISATIONS
Building and Construction Authority, Singapore
Changi Airport Group
Istana, President Office
JTC
Jurong Port
Land Transport Authority
Meinhardt Group
Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Singapore
National Library Board, Singapore
Nanyang Technological University
PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency
Singapore Tourism Board
Urban Redevelopment Authority

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Project Team 4 FOREWORD 40 CHAPTER THREE

Limin Hee Lawrence Wong, Reaching New Heights

—— Connecting Singapore to the World

2 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 3 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

shared purpose—to make Singapore one of the

4 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 5 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

The Value-Add of Singapore’s

To achieve this, Singapore has always been

For example, under the Urban Redevelopment

Separately, despite the island’s limited land area

6 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 7 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

8 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 9 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

10 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 11 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

12 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 13 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

RIGHT 2001, before serving as Chairman of the Public

Strategic systems thinking is about the long-

14 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 15 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

16 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 17 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

A systems approach to managing sewage has

18 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 19 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

IMPORTED WATER Water from local catchment Domestic sector 40%

20 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 21 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

It took another two years before the public

Today, Singapore has four NEWater plants

Source: PUB, Singapore’s water agency

(and) where the

R&D money should

24 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 25 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

26 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 27 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

Building a Sustainable City

Singapore’s built environment is admired 1 What worked in Singapore’s favour, he says,

to expand further out into the sea through land

systems. We are very

28 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 29 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

As it turned out, the successful opening of Jewel

30 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 31 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

management. 4.0, https://commons.

32 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 33 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

Industrialisation required a lot more manpower. Electricity supply

34 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 35 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

would produce a highly

36 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 37 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

38 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 39 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

40 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 41 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

Reaching New Heights

One Raffles Place, formerly

42 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 43 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

44 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 45 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

Working Together on Singapore’s Biggest

Looking to the future, Dr Nasim thinks that

This model will enable the development of

46 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 47 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

study, research and

48 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 49 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators

integrating the "software"

needs, which entails by 2025.

understanding the This is an excellent example of how the

culture and habits of

human stakeholders and

working around them.” Singapore, Dr Nasim notes, “government agencies

Partnership between the public and private

Along with the planning and installation of new

50 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators 51 Engineers as Urban Systems Innovators